…What makes a ‘true champion’

The Principal, Unique Heights School, Magodo, Lagos, Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Olatunde has tasked her graduating students to imbibe creativity, courage, inquisitiveness, and self discipline if they want to become champions.

At the school’s 16th valedictory and prize-giving at its premises on Saturday, Olatunde said:

“Being a champion has little to do with natural physique or intellect but character, and positive mindset that can be discovered and developed. Everyone can improve and be better. Championship is balancing the art of the attributes.

“A champion is courageous because he or she is out in front, as a leader. He or she backs up his or her instinct when the instinct is all the certainty that is available. He or she picks up or reaches out to the mantle of responsibility that is floating free, and put it on.

“A champion must be able to live with failure as well as enjoy success. This is the toughest quality of all, because it is the very act of courage of leadership that sees you step out into unknown and carries with it the possibility of defeat.”

She noted that many are simply afraid to reach the zenith of their dreams simply because of fear of not succeeding.

“The truth is, a common reason why people do not strive is the fear of failure, yet no one has sought ideals in life without failing first. From that first failure experienced, one learns about the process of competing, about oneself, the strength one should exploit and the weakness one must eliminate,” she added.

Chairman of the occasion, Dapo Owoeye, urged graduands’ parents and guardians to pay more attention to their development which, to him, is still at the foundation stage.

“Have you seen a builder who, after just completing the foundation, invites friends and family members to join him in celebration? What I am saying is that for your parents, it is not yet time for celebrations. Some of these children after now, will go to far places, or even outside the country, and you need to monitor them. Make out time to pay them unscheduled visits to know what they are doing and the kind of friends they keep,” he said.

Earlier, the school’s Proprietor Mrs Ebunoluwa Esther Ayere-Alatise, thanked parents and guardians and members of staff for their support in the development of the school over the years. She assure that the school would continue to live up to its responsibility in “building a total child and first class world changers.”

Speaking through her daughter Tobbie, she admonished the graduands as good ambassadors of the school, to sustain the school’s sterling qualities.

“To the graduands of today, I congratulate you. You need to desire, aspire, and perspire the best in order to acquire the best in your future endeavours,” she said.

“As ambassadors of the world of academic excellence-Unique Heights, be studious, diligent, disciplined, and dedicated. The crown of course, comes not with ease; but when it is worn, it grants peace.”